Letters from George Alexander Hugh Murray to his family, 1914 - Part 2

Church of England (Home Mission) Tent.
Expeditionary Force Encampment.
BROADMEADOWS.
November 24th 1914
Dear Bess
I will scribble a short note to you
while I have time, It will be of no use you
coming out on Sunday as I will be on duty
from today till Sunday night and am not
allowed to leave the lines
There was a nice
shower of rain Monday morning but we shifted 
tents in the rain and are now settled in
our new place
The battalion is out on a
night march & will be back about 10 or 11
I got a letter from home today & they say
Dad has been ill again & has to go is bed
The 13, 14-15-16 Bat. are marching through
the city on Thursday as far as is known at
present 
I will close this short note
so goodbye
from your true brother
George
 

Church of England (Home Mission) Tent.
Expeditionary Force Encampment.
BROADMEADOWS.
November 24th  1914
All at home
Ireceived your letter today & was sorry to
the hear that Dad was unwell I had to go
to bed. The Battattion is on a march tonight
but I never went as I am Orderly Sergent & that
nears a lot of Running about About 30 out of I
Coy are away on leave including C Thewlies
who has 4 days  leave to go to Euroa for he
has not bling home for 2 years
Bess was out
at the Camp on Sunday evening with a teacher
who used to be at Yallangup
Mrs Beaves of Warran
was at the Camp tonight to see K Mc Rae I never
saw her
Mort of the Coys have been issued
with the necessities that they have to take
away with them so it cannot be long before
we have a move
the Tasmanians came in
on Sunday They are about 500 strong
& Queensland Battattions have arrived They
are a poor set of soldiers compared with
Victorians They are all sizes & shapes Some
 

are under 5 feet
I am sending a few cards
along & will send some more along after
a while They are not much but sort I sent
some to Jim. They were views of the
camp
I have ordered a group photo of part
of our Coy & it is to be forwarded about
the end of the week I will send the receipt
along with it so you will be sure of getting
it 
The 13-14-15-16 Battattions are to go throng
the City or Thursday. TColonel Courtney
says we have so walk again as he will
not have us go by a train no matter if
the other coys do He is very proud of
his 1100 men
This s is all this time so I
will close
Iremain
Your brother&Son
George
 

Church of England (Home Mission) Tent.
Expeditionary Force Encampment.
BROADMEADOWS.
Monday 8^st 1914
All at home
I received your letter afternoon while I
was down at the depot I Coys office. They
did not know where to send it to. I will get
the photo taken with those twelve stamps &
will send it along by & bye
We are having very
windy & dirty weather. We had a half holiday
on Saturday & another today & I suppose there
will be another tomorrow for the 14^th Bat is
going to play the Sydney Battery Cricket. The
14^th Bat played the L. Horse Cricket on Saturday
afternoon & won by 70 runs One of the 14^th took
5 wickets for 19 runs
There was a nice crowd of
soldiers at Church Parade on Sunday morning
There were close on 5 thousand present. Out
of the whole 11 hundred infantry men in the
14^th  Bat there are only 25 Catholics that
paraded on Sunday morning Next Sunday
is the march through the City from Flinders
 

Church of England (Home Mission) Tent.
Expeditionary Force Encampment.
BROADMEADOWS.
191
Street to St Kilda & then march back to BMead.
which will be a fair step for one day
When I
left here to go home I left an order for the
Coy clerk to draw Thewlis'st my pay He
drew it all right but spent it at the
Hotel. So the Lieutentant took it up & made
him fork it up & dismissed him from the
Company So I will send $3.10 along with
this letter. I went to the Station on Sat.
to get the boots & had to pay 1-2d. for them
you said that you paid 1/6 on them, but
they came as to pay I took the Cap out
& sent the boots back, as I do not want them
I have paid for them
I will write to Jim after
I finish this one.
So I will close so goodbye
from George
 

Broadmeadows
8/12/14
Dear Jim
I got to Camp safe & sound but
found the our lines were shited &
I had to go & look for them & found
them in the long run.
I got a letter
Bess today She is doing well &
is going for a drawing exam next
Monday. Les went out to see
her last Sunday but I have
not seen Les yet
I do not think
it will be long before we leave as
they are issuing out the Sea Kits
I will write a longer letter
next time as it is getting
late to I will close
I am
Yourtrue bother
George
 

Broadmeadows
9/12/4
Dear Bess
Ireceived your letter at dinner
time today
I got back to Camp
alright after our little journey
to Warrap & the feast & they
state to try back The Station
was literally crowded & you could
not move anywhere The band
marched us up to the station &
places a few tunes at the R.S.
Jim came to Murtoa on
Monday dinner time to see
me before I went away for the
lase time for a long time to
come He looks very well
I suppose Les came to see
you last Sunday & told you
all the news but I have not
seen him yet I will close this
short note as I have to answer
Jims letter 
so goodbye
George
 

Broadmeadows
20/12/14
All at home
I received your letter the other day
& will answer it now as there will be no
Church Parade this morning as it has
been raining all night. The Govenor General
was to be out to inspect the Battattions
before they event on board on Monday.
Bess has told you by now that Les & I
will be on the water by Christmas
Les & I went to see Bess before she left
& we met Mr I. Gardiner in Bourke St
When I was on Police duty at the corner
of Spring & Lonsdale Streets, I met Mr.
Alday. He was watching the troops march
I saw the girl Fitch on the Flinders'
Street Station.
There was another riot in
the city on Saturday night. I heard
that the 4th Bigaders' Bugler & Drumer
were killed in it. I do not know if
 

there is any truth in it. At any rate
there has been no bugles call this
morning
I will be sending the tin trunk &
a leather bag up next week. I will not
he wanting them any more
You said Tom
Young never received the answer to
his letter I answered it straight
away so it must have gone astray
so I will write another one to him
I never knew Les had leave to go
home till Will Morrison told me
All the Company is out on French
leave but most of them will returns
Only three out of this Coy have gone
altogether This is all this time so I
will say goodbye I am quite well
again Iremain
Your Brother&Son
George
 

30/12114
Dear Het
I received your Broadmeadow
letter while I was at sea
We are
having a good time with not
much to do. 
I signed that order
you sent to me & I will return
it with this letter
The watch
that you gave me has disappeared.
I was setting the time
to the bells while I sitting
on the railing & it
dropped out of my hand
into the sea
I am quite
well as are most of the
others
I cannot say much
as this letter has be to
be cencored
So I will close
wishing you all a Happy New
Year  from George
Rtie